Excellence of character, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it. Now it is a mean between two vices, that which depends on excess and that which depends on defect.

I would just be happy to finally taste one that wasn't dry and unseasoned. several people prepare it at our small church, all is dry, and gamey tasting. I could do better probably, but I had never tasted lamb until converting. I have no idea where they even get it, it's not at my grocery stores!

We do it simply and get a leg of lamb 3-5 lbs, marinate it in olive Oil, Rosemary, and lemon juice and roast it in the oven---ours is never dry---otherwise it would be cabrito (goat) here in Texas, a whole lamb is difficult to get unless you are a rancher or farmer and raise your own.

Our parish will be having the usual picnic after the Agape Vespers. Instead of getting several lambs we have a cooler full of lamb roasts; my estimate is we have 300 pounds right now and once we find out the crowd (we're guesstimating a quarter or third of the parish will show up since the picnic site is kinda far out of town and Alabama is supposed to have a blackberry winter that day---this means we need to feed around 300 people or so) we can get any extra lamb we need.

Leftovers will go to the local food kitchen, since our parish staffs the local kitchen on Mondays, and so the leftovers will barely be chilled by the time we can serve others!

The problem with the lamb roast is that it's hard to get kokkoretsi, but they might have some on hand just for me and a few other diehards. I have been told though to make space for the margeritsa, since each priest here gets a gallon each donated to their home. My little girls will be thrilled, I'm sure

One good thing about the lamb roast---I'll be spared from having Presbytera or I needing to adjudicate which of my kids will get the matia from the arni. I was at seminary last Pascha, but my wife tells me that my oldest boy almost mixed it up with some other folks over the one good eyeball left from the lamb.

« Last Edit: April 05, 2007, 09:23:06 AM by FrChris »

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"As the sparrow flees from a hawk, so the man seeking humility flees from an argument". St John Climacus

I am never ever having margeritsa again. I tried it, I'll stick to the lemon chicken rice soup.

I dont know-- we aren't doing a lamb anything, if we go to the inlaws for easter dinner they will probably have ham or goose or beef or pork. That family doesnt do lamb. I like it, and a couple of the kids do, but nobody else does.

Can you get the fact that it is nearing Pascha While the rest of the US dreams of visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads at Christmas, Orthodox Christians have dreams of Lamb and Ham the closer they get to Pascha. A true Orthodoxism.

lol! dh found a recipe on Paula Deen's website for using up boiled eggs. Has a white cheese sauce with Gruyere cheese in it-totally feasting right? going to try that this morning since I was sent home with all the eggs yesterday.

It ended up only 4 lbs - the roast end of a leg. I inserted slivers of garlic cloves every few inches, rubbed it with olive oil, roasted, and served with Roquefort butter (half cheese, half butter), Australian Shiraz, and Italian bread. Tiramisu was the dessert. Poverty doesn't mean one has to live without art. The priest blessed it, and I'm still eating it, to the Glory of God. Eggs, I don't like - unless skillfully hidden in a recipe - one red egg from the priest is all I needed.

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"We must begin at once to "build again the tabernacle which is fallen down, and to build again the ruins thereof, and to set it up;" for HE WHO GAVE THE THOUGHT IN OUR HEART HE LAID ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITY ON US THAT THIS THOUGHT SHOULD NOT REMAIN BARREN." - J.J. Overbeck, 1866

You have these recipes with Lamb, I dont... dolmas made with lamb, Kibee made with lamb (an Lebanese/Syrian specialty), and Pasticho made with lamb!

send them to me or post them on the Recipe in Family Forum.

thanksThomas

I don't know how to make Pasticho. The Greek side of the family brings the Greek food and the Syrian side of the family makes the Syrian food. I will give you my recipes. But Uncle Nick's pasticho has no recipe...I will see what information I can get from him.

We only did a 35 or so lb. lamb at the house, but we also had two 8 lbs. leg/roasts as well.

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

Now, for our various school roasts, we roast multiple animals; for Pascha just one 50 lbs-er, but also lots of burgers and 'dogs. For our big events, 3 50-lbs lambs, and one time we added a 75-lbs pig (4 animals, and not a scrap of leftovers!).

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.

I'm just curious and ignorant - at what point or age does a lamb become a sheep? I see people bragging about 50 and 60 pounders they grilled for Pascha. Isn't that pert neer a half-growd' sheep? As you can guess, we just don't know nothing much about sheep down here in the Lone Star state.

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On the spiritual path somewhere between the Simpsons and St. Theophan the Recluse, but I still can't see the Springfield city limits sign yet.

I'm just curious and ignorant - at what point or age does a lamb become a sheep? I see people bragging about 50 and 60 pounders they grilled for Pascha. Isn't that pert neer a half-growd' sheep? As you can guess, we just don't know nothing much about sheep down here in the Lone Star state.

Usually we barbique spring lambs on a spit. Now the tricky answer to your question is what part of the world does the spring lamb come from. Here in NY it was 43 deg. Pasha day. I can't for the life of me believe that a 42 lb lamb was breed in NY. It had to have come from down south or a different country all together. Usually lambs over 60 lb aren't considered spring lambs any longer. Unless there 60 lbs alive. There almost fully grown. Only good for soup and stew where I come from. I think your right on about it being a sheep.

« Last Edit: April 10, 2007, 04:13:26 PM by Demetrios G. »

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Excellence of character, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it. Now it is a mean between two vices, that which depends on excess and that which depends on defect.

I was told it was somewhere in the 50's (of pounds) that they change the name...

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"O Cross of Christ, all-holy, thrice-blessed, and life-giving, instrument of the mystical rites of Zion, the holy Altar for the service of our Great Archpriest, the blessing - the weapon - the strength of priests, our pride, our consolation, the light in our hearts, our mind, and our steps"Met. Meletios of Nikopolis & Preveza, from his ordination.